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Netherese Empire
Extract from "A History of the Continent: Vol. 2 The Netherese Empire" "...The ancient kingdom of Netheril was a magocratic human empire situated in Faerûn, spanning across the Sword Coast and most notably over Anauroch. Although lost to time their influence was felt across the Realms for thousands of years. The Netherese people lived in a strict hierarchy for hundreds of years, split into the nobles of High Netheril, living in floating cities miles above Faerûn, (an example seen today is Ascalhorn) and the commoners of Low Netheril who settled on the surface below on the coast of the Narrow Sea. Although they had humble roots as mere fishermen and farmers, the Netherese were introduced to the art of magic by the elves of Eaerlann, and came to harness this arcane power for ways now beyond our comprehension. Over the next thousand years they discovered the long lost Nether Scrolls, a set of small scrolls that described fundamental magical theory upon which our system today is based. They developed the creation and use of mythallars , large stores of magic power, and created flying cities, the first of which was Xinlenal. The Empire became embroiled in a war when the material plane collided with the demonic ending with The Spellplague in 0000 DR. In the resulting maelstrom, most of the flying cities of Netheril came crashing to the earth where their wreckage lies today. High Netheril was ruined in a matter of minutes, while Low Netheril experienced a long, agonizing decline. Government The ancient empire of Netheril was governed by the magocratic council, the High Mages of Netheril, which was comprised of the leading wizards of High and Low Netheril. Society Netheril was a divided empire both in both geographic and cultural terms, into the "haves" of High Netheril, and the "have-nots" of Low Netheril. The root of this segregation was tied to the discovery and development of mythallar''s by Netherese arcanists. Although the exact circumstances are not fully understood, it allowed for them to develop the spells necessary to create their floating enclaves, and craft quasi-magical items that were powered by the ''mythallars. The enclaves of High Netheril were home to the realm's nobility with the shared language of Loross, which was written in the same script as draconic. The demesnes and outlying colonies of Low Netheril were home to Netheril's middle and commoner classes, and were greatly influenced by the clerics of the Netherese pantheon. They spoke Netherese in the cities of Low Netheril. High Netheril During the height of the Netheril Empire, 54 floating cities soared over the skies Faerûn. They were by-and-large bastions of enlightenment, peace and ingenuity, giving the mages of Netheril sanctuaries from which they could continue their arcane research, safe from the distractions and dangers of the surface world. The boundaries of their influence were only stopped by the human and elven empires of the age, by Illefarn and Calimshan in the west, Cormanthyr and Jhaamdath in lands around the Inner Sea, and the Old Empires, Raumathar and Narfell in the east. Each enclave was raised and often ruled by one of the empire's powerful arcanists. Low Netheril The lands of Low Netheril were comprised of scattered towns, land-bound enclaves known as demenses, and roaming barbarian tribes. The demenses were ruled by the lesser arcanists of the empire who had yet to master the creation of the mythallars that enabled the ancient wizards to lift their cities from the face of the continent. Each demense exhibited specific terrain, weather and characteristics that were alterable depending on the whim of the ruling arcanist. Rather than using roads, the mages of Low Netheril traveled to other Realms by means of flying steeds and fly ''spells. Unlike the nobility of the flying enclaves, the commoners of Low Netheril, also known as the ''free folk, were seen as chattel by their societal superiors. The arcanists of the empire used them for labor or subjects for magical experimentation. Heavily influenced by the priests of their varying religions, the serfs of Low Netheril looked to their gods for a better life, free from the subjugation of the empire's magocratic rulers. The fringes of the empire were inhabited by the roaming Rengarth and Angardt barbarian tribes, who were split by the latter group's adoption of sorcery..." Extract from "The Ancestry of the Arcane" "...The centuries of arcane research in Netheril had given Faerûn a variety of never-before-seen magical items that continued to be created and used by wizards and adventurers for millennia, such as Ioun stones. A small number of magical artifacts had been left behind within the ruins of Netheril's fallen enclaves. While some of these were quasi-magical items, which could only function a certain distance from the demesnes of Low Netheril, others included archyre crowns, chardalyn gems and shatter-rings. Today may scavengers, adventurers and arcanists fervently seek out the treasures of Netheril, scouring the land for any trace of their once great lineage. As the last remaining city of the Empire, Ascalhorn has proven to be the target of many expeditions. However these cities have long since lost their populace and are instead home to dangerous creatures. If few venture in, even fewer venture out..." Extract from "Lineages and Lines of the North" ; "...While the Netherese successor states survived for some time, they were eventually destroyed or abandoned. The remnants of the Netherese people were scattered across the Realms, with no home to call their own. The commoners of Low Netheril were scattered among the of the North, settling in Illusk and other lands, before developing into the Angardt, Rengarth and intermingling with the Uthgardt barbarian tribes..."